Dry wall sheet metal frame



Feb. 25, 1969 F. J. FORTSCH ETAL 3,429,075

DRY WALL SHEET METAL FRAME Filed Sept. 12, 1967 P194410:- .z P01975679, KMFOA a 4'. $04 4 044M United States Patent ice 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A multipart hollow sheet metal frame generally rectangular in cross section which can be assembled in an opening in an existing wall without damage to the wall by comparatively unskilled workmen using a few simple tools and which will grip the walls after assembly therewith and resist forces tending to move or distort the frame.

Background of the invention The field of the present invention is the art of metal frames for openings, such as doors in buildings. More particularly, this invention relates to hollow sheet metal frames which can be readily installed by workmen having comparatively little skill in openings, such as the doorway in an existing wall of a building. Only the simplest tools, for example, a mallet, a square and screw driver are needed for installation. When assembled, the ends of the header and the adjacent ends of the jambs are assembled in close fitting relation and are secured together by means which prevent ready disassembly. The engaged ends of the header and jamb resist distortion and relative movement by reason of their interengagement and reinforcements therein.

The prior art which is believed to be most nearly pertinent to the present invention is U.S. Patent No. 2,741,344. The hollow sheet metal frame disclosed in that patent is used by being installed in the place in the building where a door is desired and then a wall is built about the frame with parts of the wall extending into the space within the frame. The frame of that patent cannot be assembled in an opening in an existing wall because the tabs which project upwardly from the jambs and extend through slits in the header must be bent over to secure the parts in assembled position. These tabs can only be bent before the wall is built around the frame. The bending over of these tabs requires skill for they must be bent accurately if the header and jamb are to be properly aligned. Thus, while the frames of that patent are quite satisfactory for use under the conditions for which it was devised, they are not usable in the existing walls and, moreover, require skilled workmen for their assembly. It was not obvious to those skilled in the art how to modify the frame of that patent so that it could be used in an existing opening and could be erected by workmen having but slight skill, nor how the frame of that patent could be modified so that it could be used with an existing wall and with a wall which was to be built around it.

Summary of the invention The present invention makes it possible to provide a single, hollow, multipart sheet metal frame which can be erected in an existing wall or around which a wall may be erected. The frame possesses all the advantages of the frame of Patent No. 2,741,344 and is capable of being erected by workmen having but little skill and using only a few simple tools. These results are obtained by unobvious modifications of and additions to the frame of Patent No. 2,741,344 including the use of tabs on the header to be secured to the upper ends of the jambs and the addi- 3,429,076 Patented Feb. 25, 1969 tion of means to prevent damage to an existing wall when the frame is assembled therewith.

Brief description of the drawings The present invention will be better understood by those skilled in the art from the drawings which accompany this specification and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred form of this invention partially assembled in a wall opening;

FIG. 2 is an exploded fragmentary view of the frame of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the header and one jamb in assembled position; and

FIG. 4 is an end view showing the inclination of the faces of the frame parts.

In FIG. 1 is shown a frame F embodying the present invention and comprising a header 1 and two jambs 3. Each of these three parts is composed of sheet metal, is hollow and is generally rectangular in cross section. As FIGS. 2 and 3 show, each of these three parts includes a sofiit 5, at least one stop 7, at least one rabbet 9, two faces 11, two returns 13 and two double returns 15. It will be understood that when it is not desired to have two stops and two rabbets of FIGS. 2 and 3, one stop and one rabbet may be eliminated by extending the sofiit 5 laterally until it intersects with the adjacent face 11.

It is to be noted that in FIG. 4 the faces 11 are inclined toward one another, at a large included angle, for example about 88, with the adjacent rabbet. When the parts of the frame are assembled with the wall, the faces are flexed outwardly or away from one another, by engage ment of the double returns 15 with the wall, into a position where the faces are substantially perpendicular to the rabbets with the frame pressing with considerable force against opposite sides of the wall which assists in retaining the frame in position relative thereto.

The double returns 15 extend from the returns 13 toward the rabbets 9 and afford a smooth surface for engagement with the surfaces of the existing wall when the frame parts are being assembled therewith. In the absence of the double returns, the frame parts could not be as sembled with the wall without grave danger of scraping and gouging the wall.

Stilfeners 17 are disposed in the jambs a few inches from the upper ends thereof and about three feet from the lower ends. These stiifeners are strips of metal which extend from the inner surface of one face 11 to the inner surface of the other face 11 and have substantially parallel flanges 19 extending therefrom and lying against the inner surfaces of the faces 11. These stitfeners 17 bear against the opposed edges of the wall and assist in positioning the jambs relative thereto.

At their lower ends, the jambs 3 are provided with sill anchors 21 (FIG. 1) which, preferably, consist of flat strips of sheet metal spot welded to the inner surfaces of the faces 11 and projecting away from the jambs to be secured to the sills of the building in any suitable manner, as by means of screws (not shown).

The ends of the header 1 and the upper ends of the jambs 3 are mitered, i.e., the double returns 15, the returns 13 and the faces 11 are cut on an angle of about 45, as indicated at 22, so that when the jambs and header are assembled, the edges of these several parts will engage one another, as is well shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The upper ends of the rabbets of the jambs are provided with upwardly extending tabs 23 and the ends of the rabbets on the header 1 are provided with slots 25 through which the tabs 23 extend when the jambs and header are assembled. These tabs assist in positioning and maintaining the ends of the jambs and header in assembled position. The upper ends of the jambs 3 are shaped to receive the ends of the header 1. To that end the upper ends of the sofiits and stops 7 of the jambs are cut away for a vertical distance sufiicient to receive the soffits and stops of the header when the jambs are assembled with the header. The soffits 5 of the header are cut to form tabs 27 which bear against the inner sides of the sotfits on the jambs when the parts are assembled and each of these tabs 27 is provided with a hole 29. Screws 31 may be inserted through holes 33 in the sofiits of the jambs and into holes 29 in tabs 27 with the result that the header will be attached to the jambs against accidental displacement.

Means at each end of header 1 are provided for the purpose of stiffening or reinforcing the joints between the header and the jambs and preventing distortion or relative movement of these parts. The reinforcing means illustrated consists of reinforcements 35. Each reinforcement consists of a flat piece of sheet metal having a body 37 and a leg 39 extending at right angles thereto. There are two of these reinforcements 35 for each end reinforcement of the header 1. Each reinforcement body 37 lies against the inner surface of a face 11 and is attached thereto, preferably by spot welding. The reinforcement legs 39 project past the beveled edges of the faces and extend into the upper ends of the jambs and lie against the inner surfaces of the faces 11 of the jambs. The free ends of the reinforcements are rounded or cut away as is shown at 41. Each of the reinforcesment 35 has flanges along its edges and projecting away from the faces 11. The flanges 43 along the outer edges of the reinforcement bodies 37 and legs 39 bear against the inner surface of returns 13 between faces 11 and double returns 15. The flanges 45 along the inner edges of the bodies 37 and legs 39 of the reinforcement 35 bear against the inner surfaces of rabbets 9 of the header and jambs.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that when the parts are assembled, as just described, with the tabs 23 projecting through the slots 25 and with the sofiits and rabbets of the header seated in the cut away portions of corresponding parts of the jambs, relative movement of the jambs and header is prevented; and when the tabs 27 are secured against the inner surfaces of the soffits of the jambs as by screws 31, vertical movement of the header and jambs relative to one another will be prevented. It will also be understood that when the mitered edges of the jambs and header are secured in surface to surface engagement as by means of the tabs and screws just mentioned, the reinforcements 35 will effectively prevent relative swinging movement of the jambs and header and will thus resist distortion of the frame.

Frames embodying the present invention may be assembled in the opening of an existing wall (see FIG. 1) by performing a few simple steps as follows: First, the header is placed in position at the top of the opening by forcing it upwardly over the wall and thereby moving the faces 11 into a position more nearly at right angles to the rabbets 9. In this operation, the double returns exert a gripping action against opposite sides of the wall with the result that the header will remain in such position against the pull of gravity.

Second, one of the jambs is assembled with one end of the header by inclining the jamb sufficiently for the legs 39 of the reinforcements to enter the spaces between the returns 13 and the rabbets 9 of the jamb. Upward and swinging movement of the janrb will bring the tabs 23 into alignment with and will pass them through slots 25 and will bring tab 27 against the rear surface of sofifit 5 of the jamb in which position it may be secured by a screw 31 passing through the sofiit and into the tab 27. Third, the other jamb may be assembled with the other end of the header in a similar manner. The ends of the header and jambs may be brought into close edgeto-edge engagement of the mitered surfaces by tapping the returns 13 of the header just above the jambs, as by a mallet. Preferably, this tapping operation is performed before the screws 31 are tightened to hold the parts in assembled position. Fifth, the frame jambs are made perpendicular to the header as by placing a square against the lower side of the header and adjusting each jamb to a position perpendicular to the header. This squaring operation is performed on each of the jambs. Sixth, the sill anchors 21 are attached to the wall in any suitable manner, as by passing screws therethrough into the wall.

While the present invention has been described with some particularity with respect to the use of the frame with an existing wall, it is to be understood that it can be equally well employed where a wall is to be built around it.

Having thus described this invention in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, and having set forth the best mode contemplat d of carrying out this invention, we state that the subject matter which we regard as being our invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in what is claimed, it being understood that equivalents or modifications of, or substitutions for, parts of the above specifically described embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet metal frame to be assembled in an opening in an existing wall, said frame comprising a header and two jambs having substantially the same cross sectional shape and dimensions, the header and jambs each having a sofiit, at least one stop, at least one rabbet, two faces, two returns and two double returns, the faces, returns and double returns of the ends of the header and of one end of each jamb being mitered, the mitered ends of the rabbets of the jambs having projecting tabs and the ends of the rabbets of the header having openings to receive said tabs, tabs projecting at substantially right angles from the soflits of the header to be secured against the inner surface of the soflits of the jambs, reinforcements at each end of the header, each reinforcement including a body attached to the face of the header and a leg extending at right angles therefrom beyond the mitered end of the header face and into the adjacent end of a jamb, flanges at the outer edges of the body and leg to engage the faces, returns and double returns of the header and the adjacent jamb, flanges at the inner edges of the body and leg to engage the rabbets of the header and the adjacent jamb, the free end of each leg being rounded to facilitate assembly of the reinforcements in a jamb, the opposed faces of each of the header and jambs being bent toward each other to make angles of about 88 with the adjacent rabbet and stitfeners near the ends of each jamb, said stiffeners being strips of metal having end flanges disposed substantially parallel to and secured to the inner surfaces of the opposed faces of each jamb.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,718,291 9/1955 Goldberg 49-504 2,741,344 4/1956 Herr 287'189.36 XR 3,156,331 11/1964 Sklar 49-505 XR 3,269,068 8/ 1966 King 52217 KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 52-211 

